Driving mechanism for printing presses



Aug. 13, 1940. A. J. CLlNE DRIVING MECHANISM FOP. PRINTING PRESS ESFiled April 8, 1938 w mwm Patented Aug. 1.3, 1940 UNITED STATES muvmaMECHANISM FOR 'ramrmc rnassss Allan J. Cline, Chicago, 11]. ApplicationApril 8,1938, Serlal' No. 200,869 8 Claims. (01. 21o- -5) This inventionrelates to printing press drives and more particularly to drives of theunit type in which a separate motor is employed for each unit of thepress and preferably one for each folder, such a. unit drive"- beingdescribed and claimed hi my prior Patent No. 1,734,077

issued November 5, 1929. A variation of this form of drive is shown inPatent No. 1,877,387, issued September 13, 1932, in which the individl0ual motors are arranged end-to-end beneath or in other convenientrelation to the press. In a third patent, No. 1,857,818, issued May 10,1932, individual inching motors are provided in association with thevarious press units whereby the 1: cylinders may be turned in platingand the units which are grouped with a folder to form a particular presscombination may be driven at inching speed in makingready for normaloperation:

by the main drive motors.

The present invention provides in a drive system of the same generaltype to which the aforesaid patents relate, an auxiliary inching or slowspeed motorassociated with a press combination including a folder. fordriving the same at slow speed, either fixed or variable, covering arange of lower speeds for the press, said motor, in the embodiment ofthe invention shown in the drawing, being also adapted to drive at slowspeed with the folder such press units, on either side thereof, as maybe grouped with the folder to form a press. This auxiliary-motor ispreferably adapted to take care of the inching speed and theacceleration between such speed and the range of the regular unit drivemotors. although manifestly itv could be designed for inching speedonly. a

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view showing a portion of a unittype press and driving mechanism therefor embodying my invention, the

drawing being largely diagrammatic;

Fig. 2 is a view taken on the section .line 2-; of Fig. 1 illustratingthe'driving-connecti'on between the armature shaft of one of the unitdrive motors and the power take-off shaft leading to the unit driven bysaid motor;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the worm drive and overrunning clutchassembly whereby the 5 power from the auxiliary slow speed motor is anda plate cylinder is, geared together in the usual manner and adaptedFurther objects and'advantages of the inven transmitted to the mechanismto be driven thereby; and

Fig. 4 is a detail view, partially in section, of the partsshown in Fig.3, being taken on a plane at right angles to the view shown in Fig. 3. 5The invention is shown in said drawing applied to a unit' type press, ofwhich several units, indicated by the reference character I I, and onefolder, indicated by the numeral II, are shown, the same being mountedin a frame l3 supported 1 upon a floor l5 beneath'which, are mounted inend-to-end relationship a plurality of unit drive motors I6, and afolder drive motor it, it being understood that there is a separatemotor It for each unit and that Fig. 1 is a fragmentary 15 view of -aline of presses and folders, there being a separate motor for each unitand preferably one for each-folder, in accordance with the disclosure ofmy prior Patent No. 1,734,077 abovementioned. Each unit comprises twoprinting 20 couples comprising an impression cylinder I'I said cylindersbeing to be driven by means of a power take-oi! shaft is carryingmeshing with a bevel gear 22 carried by one of the press. cylinders,said shaft being supported in suitablevertical bearings, the upper oneof whichis indicated by the numeral 23, and the lower one of which isomitted for convenience 30 in illustration. e

The shafts l9 are driven from their respective motors It by ineans of anarmature shaft 24, a worm 25 thereon, and 'a worm gear 26 carried at thelower end of said shaft IS, which is formed A in sections which areadapted to. be connected together by means of a clutch 21 of standardform;

Adjacent motors are connected together by means of shaft sections",which serve to equalize the speed of the several motors which may be Qoperating together in any particular press combination. Clutches 2! areprovided between the motors so that those most remote from the folderinany. particular press group may be dropped out, thus silencing allunits excepting those which it is desired to use with the folder in anygiven operation of the press. Y The folder motor It" drives a shaft 3|through a worm II and clutch 21' similar to the worms IIv and clutches21 associated with the unit drive motors,'said shaft 3| carrying bevelpinions 32 and 88' meshing, respectively, with bevel gears 3'4 and",through which the folder mechanism is driven in the usual manner. Thegear 34 is open atits upperend a bevel pinion 2| (ill atively connectedwith the lower folder rollers,, one of which is indicated at 36, and thegear 35 is connected with the upper rollers (not shown). The webs 31from the several press units pass over guide rollers 38, and aredirected into the folder in standard fashion, the web supply being fromweb reels in the basement from which the webs are led up through thefloor into the press units in the well-known manner.

A clutch 39 is interposed between the motor i and the worm 25 so thatsaid motor may be disconnected from the folder and from the motors atthe'right hand side thereof, as shown in Fig.

1, if occasion should demand.

The motors l6 and I8 may be either alternating or direct current motors,as may be desired for particular installations, and are wired forselective operation and control in manner which will be understood bythose skilled in the art. Said motors are adapted to operate the unitsand the folder at a range of operating speeds required for normal pressoperation, and may be generally referred to as full-speed motors sincethey are designed for normal operating speeds and not for inching speedor lower speeds than those included in the normal operating range.

In accordance with my invention, I provide an auxiliary inching and slowspeed motor, indicated by the reference numeral 4|, said motor beingshown diagrammatically in Fig. l as being in vertical position, althoughit will be understood that it may be arranged in horizontal position andsupported from the press frame or substructure in any suitable manner.The armature shaft of said motor is indicated at 42 and carries a worm43 meshing with a worm wheel 44 mounted loosely on the shaft section 28between the motor l8 and the motor 6 at the right thereof. Said wormwheel 44, when driven by the worm 43, serves to rotate the shaft section28 and the worm 15' by means of an overrunning clutch shown in detail inFig. 4. Said clutch comprises a clutch disc 45 formed with a collar 46,secured by a pin 46' to the shaft 28, said disc having therein aplurality of pawl pins 41 carrying pawls 48 positioned adjacent aratchet ring 49 secured by means of pins 50 to the worm wheel 44 whichis held between the disc 45 and a collar 5| secured to the shaft 28 bymeans of a pin 5|. It will be evident that when said worm wheel 44 isdriven by the worm 43, the ratchet ring 49, being in engagement with thepawls 48, will rotate the clutch disc 45, which in turn will rotate theshaft 28 from which the folder is driven by means of the worm 25',clutch 21" and shaft 3|, as

'. above described. When the motor 4| is not operating, the shaft 28 andclutch disc 45 may rotate without effect upon the worm wheel 44, thepawls 40 at this time riding freely over the teeth of the ratchet ring48.

Said motor 4| may thus be employed to drive the folder and such units asare grouped therewith by means of the clutches 29, and is so designedthat it is suitable for inching speed when the webs are being threadedthrough the'press units and into the folder in making ready for startinga regular run of the press, and said motor may also be employed inoperating the press at slow speed between the inching speed and therange of speed of the regular unit drive motors l6 and I6. If desired,individual inching motors might be provided for the press units, asshown in Patent No. 1,857,818, above referred to, in which case theauxiliary motor 4| could be employed as an inching motor for the folderonly and could serve for low speed operation of the folder alone or withthe units grouped for operation therewith.

- The foregoing detailed description has been given for cleamess ofunderstanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understoodtherefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly aspermissible in view of the prior art.

What I regard as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

- 1.In a unit type printing press comprising a plurality of printingunits and afolder, individual full-speed motors, one for each unit and.one for the folder, transmission mechanism whereby the units and folderare driven by their respective motors, and an auxiliary motoroperatively connected with a press combination comprising a folder andthe units grouped to operate therewith whereby said folder and units maybe driven as a group at speed below the normal range of said full-speedmotors.

2. In a unit type printing press comprising a plurality of printingunits and a folder, individual full-speed motors, one for each printingunit, mechanism whereby the units are driven by their respective motors,and an auxiliary motor operatively connected with a press combinationcomprising a folder and the units grouped to operate therewith wherebysaid folder and units may be driven as a group at speed below the normalrange of said full-speed motors.

3. In a unit type Printing press comprising a plurality of printingunits and a folder, individual full-speed motors, one for each printingunit, mechanism whereby the units are driven by their respective motors,and an auxiliary motor operatively connected with a press combinationcom prising a folder whereby the same may be driven as a group at lowerspeed than the normal operating range of speed of the pre 4. In a unittype printing press comprising a plurality of printing units and afolder, individual full-speed motors, one for each printing unit,mechanism whereby the units are driven by their respective motors, anauxiliary motor for driving a press combination comprising a folder andthe units grouped therewith at slow speed, and means including anoverrunning clutch whereby said folder and units may be operated at slowspeeds by said auxiliary motor and may be operated as a group at higherspeed by said full-speed motors without effect upon said auxiliarymotor.

5. In a unit type printing press comprising a plurality of printingunits and a folder, individual main drive motors for said units andfolder, transmission mechanism whereby the units and folder are drivenby said motors, and an auxiliary motor operatively connected with apress combination comprising a folder and the units grouped to operatetherewith for driving the same as a group at slow speeds belo the normalrange of said main motors.

6. In a unit type printing press comprising a plurality of printingunits and a folder, individual main drive motors for said units andfolder, transmission mechanism whereby the units and folder are driven.by said motors, an auxiliary motor operatively connected witha presscombination comprising a folder and the units grouped to operatetherewith for'driving the same at slow speedsbelow the normal range ofsaid main motors, and means whereby units in desired number at eitherside of the folder may be grouped for operation therewith and arrangedfor operation as a group by said auxiliary motor for slow speeds andindividually by said main motors for higher 8. Ina unit typeprintingpress comprising a main drive motorsfor said units andfolder'arranged in end-to-end relationship adjacent the press, means forequalizing the speed of said mo-' tors, transmission mechanism wherebythe units and folder are driven by said motors, and an auxiliary motor:operatively connected with a press combination comprising a folder andthe .units grouped tooperate therewith for driving 1 the same as a groupat slow speeds below the normal range of said main motors.

ALLAN'J.CHINE.

plurality of printing units and a folder, individual I

